


Control

by ragdollrory



Series: What's in a Word? [7]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, Obsessive Behavior, Sex, Sort Of, Sparring, accidental arson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:55:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22409065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragdollrory/pseuds/ragdollrory
Summary: A mistake in a stakeout puts Mako on a leave until he gathers his bearings. The exact opposite happens, as he tries to work through some phantoms of his past, the distance Lin has put between them, and the fact that he's never been good with things beyond his control.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Mako
Series: What's in a Word? [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1173527
Comments: 21
Kudos: 84





	Control

**Author's Note:**

> If you are still reading this, thank you, and I see you at the end of the chapter.
> 
> A big thank you to my Beta [Hiro](https://twitter.com/bioplast_hero), who had a crash course on TLOK for this. You're a sweetheart.

Two weeks. He’d been put on a paid leave of absence for two weeks. The Chief had deemed it necessary. Mako was to relax, collect his thoughts and feelings and return to the Force with a calm mind. It was perhaps one of the worst things to have happened to him, including living on the streets and nearly dying inside a giant robot. But Mako had agreed, because what else could he do? After screwing up a mission that had taken them months to prepare, getting his co-workers injured and downright sobbing in Lin’s office, there was not much arguing about it. He should consider himself lucky that he got off with his pay intact, but then again, he supposed that was Lin pitying him. She likely knew Mako had a hard time making it to the end of the month and had decided to spare him from ending up on the streets. Or sleeping at the station. So, just like that, he had gotten himself two weeks of paid detention in his house.

That first week went by with Mako in a constant state of rage. 

The night he’d lost control and cried on Lin’s shoulder, Mako had returned to his place fuming and slamming the door to his apartment shut. He couldn’t believe he had  _ cried _ in front of her. He never cried! Not even when his parents got killed had he shed a single tear, his tiny hand closing hard on Bolin’s and dashing to hide. Mako was the responsible adult now and he had to show strength for his little brother, therefore tears were no longer an option. After that, it was always easier for him to just push his feelings to the back of his mind and keep going. Pure rage surged from the very core of Mako’s body and he trashed every piece of furniture on his way to the bedroom before he screamed bloody murder into his pillow. He cursed his parents’ murderer, he cursed his shitty luck, he cursed Bolin. And even though it hurt to even think about it, he cursed Lin.

On Friday, his alarm clock woke him up with a start. He had forgotten to turn it off and threw it across the room on impulse. He stared for what felt like hours at his ceiling, trying to decide if he should even try for some kind of normalcy. But the more Mako allowed his mind to wander, the angrier he felt. How could he ruin the one thing that had made him happy in such a long time? How could he dissapoint the Chief like that? 

At some point he decided that an actual breakfast would be nice, instead of his regular consumption of coffee and some greasy snack, and got up. He didn’t have much at his apartment, but it was enough to put something together. Still, his brain kept replaying the accident at the warehouse and he burnt every piece of bread, every omelette. Mako even managed to burn fruit thanks to his twitching arm. Coffee was on the breakfast menu for the remainder of the week.

By Sunday he had developed a routine. He got up, had some steaming, black, bitter coffee, and then worked out until his muscles gave up on him. Mako didn’t even bother with a hot shower to relieve them. What was the point? Was he even worthy of relaxing? Several times a day, his mind would turn on him and make him remember why he was there, feeling more trapped than if he was in jail. He obsessively went over everything that had gone wrong, finding every flaw in his behaviour: everything from that last time he brought Lin food, somehow dooming whatever they had, to the mission, and how he’d even gotten his teammates hurt. Driving himself crazy with all the what-ifs, he’d caught himself a second before calling the station a couple of times. He wanted to talk to Lin, explain further, beg to come back to work. He had never been so out of control of his life.

Tuesday came with rapid knocks on his door. He had been ignoring every phone call that came in, knowing they were likely people pitying him, the pathetic firebender that lost his mind on the job. Surely everyone knew he’d cried like a baby in the Chief’s office by now. 

Mako tried to ignore the knocking too, but it wasn’t going away. After 30 minutes of it, he decided to answer and just tell whoever it was to fuck off. But it was Asami, and Mako’s resolve deflated upon seeing his friend and former girlfriend. Her gaze assessing him top to bottom, Mako felt tempted to see for himself the deplorable state he was most likely in. The worry on Asami’s face was unavoidable. Before she had the time to reprimand him, he turned on his heels and slumped onto the couch, hands rubbing together nervously. 

“I’ve brought you food,” Asami announced, moving to put everything away in his pantry. Her tone was clipped, formal in a way he’d only ever heard her use when talking business, when she needed to make sure her ideas came across clearly. He grunted some unintelligible response. She always did that, made sure Mako ate, that he slept and showered. Mako slouched further on the spot, shoulders tensing by the second. He didn’t need babysitting.

Asami took a seat in a chair to his right, carefully pressing her skirt into neatness, crossing a leg over the other, her back straight in a natural way people like her were born with. Mako’s eyes followed her every movement with the attention of a caged animal, his burned hand clenching his thigh at the unhelpful comparison.

After what seemed like forever of Asami staring at him, she finally broke the silence.

“No one can help you out if you don’t tell us what’s happening, Mako.” Her words hung in the air for minutes afterwards, Mako’s teeth biting into his cheek to keep himself quiet. The taste of blood and Asami tapping a finger to her forearm were the only thing in his mind for the longest time.

“There’s nothing to help me with.” The sound his throat made hardly sounded like his voice at all, rough and scathing. The way Asami’s eyes widened a fraction of a second before tightening into a glare told Mako she wasn’t expecting it either. The chair scraped against the floor as Asami stood in one fluid motion, although not as graceful anymore.

“You know where my place is.” That was all she said before closing the door, rightfully pissed at his attitude. Mako couldn’t bring himself to care. He didn’t need her pity, or anyone’s.

-

Thursday. It had already been a week since his breakdown, and try as he might, Mako could not calm the twitching of his left arm. And that scared him. He’d tried breathing exercises all week, and every day he had failed. His stress was beyond control at this point. All week long, Mako had barely managed to snag four hours of sleep at night. He just couldn’t rest, no matter how hard he tried. 

Every night he was pulled from his slumber in a cold sweat, his mind equally tormented by childhood memories, and the time spent with Lin; their conversations and passionate nights, that he’d foolishly mistaken for something more. The feeling of cold and hunger was so vivid in his dreams, his stomach tightened and twisted as he breathed on his bed in an attempt to regain composure. Bolin’s soft weeping when he couldn’t manage to secure some food, the nights they had spent on the run, both from the police and the Triads. But those dreams came mixed with soft skin and deep emerald eyes, and the way she trembled as he guided her to her climax. How his name sounded on her lips, and the way she’d card her fingers through his hair. It was all so confusing, and he always woke up with dry sobs wracking through his body.

One week. Only one more week to go back to work.

Friday found Mako brushing his teeth and combing his hair mechanically. He had decided he was done with feeling sorry and miserable, and tonight he was going out. Mako wasn’t usually one to go out alone, more like Korra or Bolin oftentimes forced him to have some drinks together, but a change was sometimes needed. He gave his appearance a quick appraisal on the mirror at the end of the hall leading to his bedroom and headed out. 

Mako wandered around the city, checking out various places, having a drink here and there, finding himself surrounded by several flirtatious girls. He genuinely tried to engage in conversation with a couple of them, but couldn’t help but to find their choice of topics rather silly and shallow. He went back home alone, and he still didn’t sleep.

Saturday morning Mako was sitting on the small kitchen table of his apartment, drinking scalding coffee and thinking about women. One in particular that he had tried several times to get out of his head to no avail. But he was also thinking of the girls he met the previous night. How charming and friendly they were, the way they smiled at him, how much easier it had been for him to flirt with them. He realised it was because he was not scared of them, and the realization was bittersweet. He was not afraid of Lin in the common sense of the word, but he definitely felt vulnerable around her. Mako wasn’t sure if that was something good or not. 

Regardless, he wasn’t going to sit idly and let this first-time-in-his-life free time escape him, so he changed and went out again. 

It was some pretty Water Tribe girl in a very dimly lit bar that finally caught Mako’s eye.

He was leaning by a wall, drink in hand, when she came up to him. She was beautiful, petite and curvy, long hair cascading down her back, and the most sparkling blue eyes. It was easy to flirt with her, caress her hip while speaking into her ear, her perfume something fruity he couldn’t quite pinpoint. She giggled at his dumb jokes, bit her lip at the more charged teasings, and they shared a couple of drinks before going back to her place. He couldn’t say she’d been anything but charming and polite, offering Mako something to drink once at their apartment. She was fun, charming, responsive to his every touch. And yet, as the night progressed, the more wrong it felt. He made a hasty apology, probably too obvious, surely clear as the day that there was something fundamentally wrong with him, and left. There was no point in pretending. He showered at least three times that night.

Monday found Mako walking around the block once again. He’d madea habit of it the past few days, mainly to leave the apartment. But especially because if he stayed still for too long he started thinking, and he needed to remain in control. Last night he had gone out again. He’d kissed as many girls as he could. Not one of them felt right, none of them tasted like coffee. 

Tonight he had a date with one of them. He’d agreed to it because the girl wouldn’t give up. Her emerald eyes had nothing to do with it. 

They had dinner at a small place near his house. Talking was easy, the same as her smile, and she invited herself over afterwards. Mako tried to like her, he really did, but he could not get past the fact that she was rather skinny, her hair too black, her comments not sarcastic enough and she smelled like tulips and roses and a giant bouquet, too sweet for his senses. 

Still, when the girl kissed him, Mako was so touch-starved he obliged, taking her to his bed and fucking hard into her, hands exploring every inch of skin within his reach. She was too loud, Mako thought as he pounded into her, focusing on making it last long enough to try and enjoy it. It never quite happened, so he did his best to give her a pleasurable experience and came hard looking into her emerald eyes. She tried to stay the night, but Mako told her he worked really early in the morning. He stared out his window for hours.

It was Wednesday already, and Mako had decided he was done dating for the time being. He was, for the third time that week, moving the few things he owned around in his place trying to get a different layout. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt perfect. Maybe he could call Asami one of these days and have her fix the place. She definitely knew more about decoration than him. But then he remembered how he’d treated her the last time she was here, thought of the food she’d brought him that remained untouched, his mind wandering down darker paths once again. He felt his arm tingle with electricity, and tried to focus on his breathing. It was still not working. The thoughts remained, and every time he closed his eyes Lin’s were there staring back, disappointed, angry, lustful. His chest felt constricted and moisture was gathering on his eyes, but this time he didn’t cry. He was in control.

One day. Today was Thursday and that meant tomorrow he would get back to work and everything in his life would be back on track.

Mako decided it would be good for him to go out today, stretch his legs, breathe some fresh air. Maybe he could go to the park, enjoy the sun and the chilly winter air. He stared at his reflection in the mirror down the hall before heading out. He could definitely look better, but he had also looked worse, so it was not that bad.

On the way to the park, a shop window caught his eye and Mako decided to enter. He walked around the little shop’s crammed aisles taking a look. He felt like buying a new scarf, missing his old one. He was missing his parents, and although he didn’t regret giving his father’s scarf to his grandmother, Mako had always felt more confident and secure with it. He caressed the fabrics of the ones for sale. They were like water slipping through his fingers, the colours so new and vibrant. They felt nice.

Too nice.

Sadness and longing settled in his stomach, in the very place his fire came from, and he wasn’t sure if he was really looking for a scarf anymore. Suddenly they all felt wrong; the fabric too light, the designs too heavy, the colours too artificial. Not to mention the prices. He couldn’t afford one even if he wanted. He walked out, focused back on his original plan, but his fingers kept the feeling of the cloth between them, and now more than ever he felt the cold wind biting at his neck.

Mako was only a few blocks away from the park when a building had him stopping in his tracks. It was the old dojo he and Bolin used to train in some years back before they made it to Pro Bending, before they managed to get out of the streets. Back then, it was run by a woman who was kind enough to let them sleep inside on the nights when the cold was unbearable. She’d given him and his brother the chance for a better life. If they hadn’t been able to train there, surviving the freezing nights of Republic City, the Fire Ferrets and everything that came after would never have happened. 

When she died, they’d already been living in the apartment above the Arena for a while, but Mako had gathered a few yuan and bought some flowers to pay his respects. No one had taken over the place afterwards, and it was now abandoned, spirit vines climbing the walls and into the windows. Aside from that though, the place looked exactly how he remembered it: another dingy step in the ruthless stairs he and his brother had had to climb over the course of their lives. A better one, that’s for sure, but dingy nonetheless. Nostalgia had Mako walking inside. 

Nostalgia is not always warm feelings and small, happy smiles. Sometimes—most of the times in Mako’s case—nostalgia was a void in the pit of his stomach; a cold shiver running through his spine. A nervous twitch on his injured arm. The feeling of dread coming to him out of nowhere. Fear of getting evicted yet again. The face of the man that killed his parents. Forgetting who he was now and waking up with a start thinking the police were after him. No, Mako didn’t have a single positive nostalgic memory.

He shivered from his own thoughts and memories as he walked around the place. Years worth of dust piled up on every surface, the tatami bleached in places from sun exposure from the broken windows and holes in the roof. Even then, the floor was relatively clean, so maybe people still used it to sleep. The idea constricted Mako’s heart, and he needed to move to evade those ideas, so he began to practice some easy forms. 

The movement brought some peace to his body, and soon he left his coat aside and began practicing more complex exercises, some old Pro-Bending moves too, slowly feeling back in tune with his inner fire. He’d missed being able to just move. He remembered the last time he had trained at headquarters, Ming always close on his heels, pushing his limits. This was nice for a change, just freestyling it. Mako let himself go, body moving on its own volition, and before long he lost track of time, and control of his thoughts.

-

“I don’t believe it.” Lin’s voice brought him back to reality, the room around him returning to a focus he hadn’t realized he’d lost. “What do you think you’re doing, Detective?” She was standing right at the door of the gym, hands at her hips, total disbelief and anger distorting her features.

“Chief.” He stood to attention on instinct, his body stiff with fear.

He’d lost track of time, lost his mind to a firelust that had been consuming him on the inside; every concealed fear, regret and feeling of guilt he’d carried for years could be felt in the dancing flames. Mako looked around the gym to see how much damage he had caused. It had his blood running cold, knowing he’d lost the restraint he’d sought throughout his entire life. 

Fires were lit in various places, alongside broken furniture and piles of ash. Mako couldn’t remember it at all. Although he knew entering the dojo was technically illegal, it had never occurred to him that he would get caught, least of all by her. His eyes roamed over Lin’s body. Even now, as the fury he’d been harbouring these past weeks stood ready to snap again, Mako had nothing but admiration for her. She was stunningly beautiful, the trench coat covering her uniform, cinched at her waist, small even with the heavy plate. She had a scarf around her neck; a dark, moss green, coloured scarf, probably one of the only things she allowed herself to use denoting her earth nation descent. His fingers itched to touch it.

“I asked you something Detective. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Mako could only stare at her. She was definitely pissed. If he’d thought she’d been angry two weeks ago when he botched that mission, well, now he knew better. “You should feel lucky it was me who answered the call on the way to the station.  _ What were you thinking? _ Breaking and entering, destruction of private property, disturbing the peace—and what’s worse, an arsonist firebender! People sure always love those! Should I have gotten you tested for insanity, Detective?”

Mako flinched at every word, the heat he was feeling just moments ago receding under Lin’s reproachful glare.

"Look,” he started, trying to defuse the fire in her, his voice still quivering from the adrenaline. “You responded to the call. You've discovered there's no danger here. Just a stupid firebender who wants to be left alone. So do it. Leave me in peace."

"No," Lin’s voice hardened. "You're my detective, you're a member of my force, and I'm ordering you to answer me. What the hell is going on with you? I thought these two weeks were going to help you, but if this is what comes out of that, then I think you might just need more time to work things through."

Mako really tried to keep his anger in check, even his breathing, and keep everything under control, but he hadn’t been able to do that for a while now, no matter how much he’d tried to deceive himself.

“Well, you thought wrong! You know what Lin, I’m sick of it. Of everything! But mostly I’m sick of you, treating me like some stupid boy you can play around with!” Mako yelled taking a couple of long steps towards her. Lin’s eyes widened slightly hands falling to her sides, surprise showing in her stance. He thought he would be able to rein in his anger, but it had been buried inside for so long that now he just needed her to know, to hear how he was driving himself crazy over everything, over her.

“I’ve been going through so much that you don’t even know, or care about for that matter, Lin! And you know what? I guess it’s fine.” Mako paced around the gym, hands jerking through his hair, blasting little flames towards random stuff on his way. “I mean, who am I to ask more from you? You’re the Chief and I’m just stupid enough to follow you around and do your bidding every damned time! Who am I to ask anything from anyone?” 

“Every day for as far I can remember it’s been me working myself raw for someone else and getting shit in exchange! After all, Mako is the mature one, the serious one, the responsible one.  _ No-one _ ever gave me the chance to be anything else! Eight years! I was fucking eight years old when I had to take care of Bolin after our parents got killed. Stealing for food, sleeping in dumpsters, working for the Triads! Everything for him, to give him the best that I could. I slept on the floor to give him the cardboard box to cover himself, I ate the most rotten of fruits to give him the fresher ones. I even spent days not eating at all! And what do  _ I _ get? I couldn’t even ask for him not to get that stupid ferret! I even had to go rescue him when he decided it was a good idea to steal it! It’s always been like that. I do everything in my power to make it work and then the universe just fucks with me. ”

“Detective,” she began, “don’t be a fucking moron. You’re a member of my force.  _ My  _ force. If you feel like you’re being bossed around, that’s because it’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Mako’s fingers stalled in his hair, head cocked to the side and jaw working out the frustration over her just not getting it, or just plain playing dumb. “I’m not talking about the fucking  _ job,  _ Lin! I love the job, I’m fine taking your orders. What I can’t take  is waiting on edge of my seat for the next time  _ you  _ decide you want to fuck. And you can decide whenever the hell you want to, right? You know I’ll be ready! You know I’ll be willing! But Spirits, I try to initiate something myself? I try to do something for you, bring you food, take your extra paperwork, I even try to touch you and you  _ jump  _ ten feet in the air like I’m infected. Do you know how one-sided that feels? Like you’re just using me for my body while I’m- while I’m-“

Mako swallowed the last words; even she looked relieved. And it was just enough to send him tumbling back over the edge. 

“But by all means, let’s talk about  _ work.  _ What about that time I told you about the Agni Kai and the remote bombs in the Water Tribe Cultural Centre and you dismissed me like a school boy? That’s a good example, but oh, my favorite one is when I told Bolin about Varrick, got dismissed by him yet again  _ and then got arrested!! _ ” He was shaking with anger, his flames getting wilder with each painful memory he dug out. Bits of his clothes were already singed. “And then, I get back to the force, I work hard to be a good detective, to please you, and I think I’m making it, I even get to establish some sort of friendship with you. Lin, you have no idea how long I’ve admired you.” 

“Even when I was a stupid boy working for the Triads I admired you! And that night when you seduced me I was in fucking heaven, and everyday after that I felt I must be dreaming. But all you ever wanted was for me to please you. You don’t care about me. You don’t even let me touch you! Once again I get to be used by someone else and left to the side when I’m not needed anymore!”

“Mako, I didn’t… I’m sorry, I never thought...” Lin took some tentative steps forward, a hand reaching out to him but was met by a small wall of flames.

“Oh, I guess I’m back to being Mako now? Lovely. Every other time I’m Detective, kid, boy, but I set a building up in flames and I get to be Mako! Amazing how it takes me to break under your pressure to receive a bit of the understanding I want from you! Oh, but how stupid I must be to keep returning to you! I just can’t stop returning to you, Lin! Do you know how many girls I’ve tried and date to forget you? I don’t even remember anymore! Cute girls that call me Mako, and smile at me. Girls I can take out to dinner and touch whenever I feel like it! All I’m asking for is to be taken into account for once in my life!”

A hot sigh pushed past his nostrils, chest still tight with anger, and wild with fire. Gaze lost somewhere in the jaded mat at his feet. “I’ve been so angry these past weeks, Lin. I have never felt this much anger in my whole life. I wanted to scream at you but I’m fucking terrified of you, and I actually like that! What does that make me? I’m a fucking mess. A disappointment to everyone, to you.” 

He looked around to find her removing her trench and scarf. For a moment he stopped his rambling and just stared at her. Her long fingers working the buttons of her coat, her slender neck exposed, the way the rays of light coming from a side window now shined on her plate.

“What are you doing?” He asked, voice hoarse from the deranged screaming.

“ _ We _ are going to spar.” Lin removed her armour staying only in her undershirt and pants, folding and placing her outer clothes on a pillar by the door.

“No, we are not. Are you kidding? I just tell you all of this and your answer is to fight?” Mako was actually very afraid to fight the Chief of Police right now, afraid of the outcome.

“You’re angry, and you’re specifically angry at me, and I’m going to give you the chance to get it out of your system.  And you've picked a fitting spot to have a total, catastrophic mental breakdown. So unless you have more things to yell yourself mute with, I believe this will help blow off some steam.” She raised an eyebrow challenging him to disagree, knowing he very much couldn’t. “I didn’t think so.” Lin reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of chi-blocking cuffs. Mako extended a hand to them but Lin shook her head, putting them on herself and getting ready on a fighting stance.

“You’re insane. I’m not fighting you without your bending. Give those to me.” Mako moved towards her but she evaded him.

“No. If you want them you’ll have to remove them yourself. Come on _ Detective _ … weren’t you angry?”

“I-” Mako sputtered, flinching at the title, the harsh way it slid from her tongue. He frowned at the dirty mats, and back up at her, resolved. “Fine.”

He crouched, lifting his hands in the ready stance and stepped towards her, jabbing out a right towards her ribs. She avoided the hand easily and grabbed at his elbow, sidestepping and pushing him aside. Mako stumbled across the mats, slipping on ash.

“You lead with your right, because your left is damaged,” she tossed out from behind him. “Predictable.”

Mako breathed through the frustration, jumping back toward her, hitting her hand away and wrapping a leg around her ankle, reaching to her hair with the left. Lin dodged that one too, kicking Mako’s leg out and he crashed to the mat awkwardly on his knee.

She looked down her nose at him, and Mako’s face heated. “I taunt you, and instead you lead with your left? Come on, boy, try to be a little less predictable. Or would you prefer to just yell at me some more?”

It took him a long series of movements, and a couple of tricks from the streets, but he managed to get her trapped against a wall.

“Why, Lin?” He grabbed her by the chin, probably stronger than he should, stronger than he would do under normal circumstances. Except this wasn’t a normal circumstance by a stretch. “Why do you have to make me feel like this? Do you realise that no-one else is enough for me right now?” She made to escape his grasp but he closed his fingers stronger around her chin and sharp cheekbones, his free hand found her wrist and a small spark bounced on the metal cuff. Her eyes went to that blue speck of light, pulse quickening and pupils dilating.

“I’ve fucked this whole bunch of girls, beautiful, sexy, willing girls. Girls who let me touch them, Lin. And not one of them was enough. Why?” Mako’s voice was foreign even to himself. He thought he’d never experienced this much anguish and want at the same time. He was speaking only an inch away from her lips, the heat of her breath making him so hard, her silence driving him crazy. He wanted her to react. He _ needed _ her to do so.

Something in him must’ve given out, because next thing he knew, there was an elbow to his chest, and Lin managed to escape his grasp, placing a good amount of distance between them once again. Mako blinked away his confusion.

“I’m your boss,  _ Detective _ , you shouldn’t harbour those kind of feelings for me. It’s not appropriate, it’s not rational and it’s definitely not healthy for you.”

Mako’s pulse spiked at that and he launched toward her,  pushing off the mat with his bare foot and catching her around the legs, pressing the tips of his fingers into the muscle of her thigh as she fell onto the mats with a loud thump. Something in his stomach twisted at the sight of her sprawled on the floor, his fingertips sparked with satisfaction, with the idea that he might finally be able to pin her, even despite her considerable handicap. He needed  _ something _ . Mako could feel everything slipping out of his grasp, the careful control he so desperately had been missing. If he could do  _ something  _ right, maybe the rest would follow.

He crawled over her, lifting her wrists above her head, panting in her face. 

“Is this what you wanted?” He gasped, heating his hands against her wrists, determined not to lose himself to the proximity. She’d captured her lower lip between her teeth, but her gaze remained steadily trained on his. Slowly, she raised her hips, pressing them against his own.

In the second that Mako jerked away from her, shocked, Lin curled a leg around his and flipped him over, hard, onto his back, standing and brushing dust from her hands. “An enemy will fight dirty, kid,” she panted, and the expression on her face was inscrutable. “They’ll bite, attack from behind. If they sense that they can use your attraction against you, they’ll do it. Why do you think I allow so much cheating in the force’s spars? Because playing fair isn’t something you’ll ever have the luxury of getting used to, as a Detective. And spirits know it’s easy to see that your attraction to me is a handicap.”

Mako crawled to his feet again, cursing under his breath, face heating at her knowing words. He couldn’t say anything back; she knew she was right, had the chance to feel how hard he was just from their spar. Perhaps there really was something fundamentally wrong with him after all. He gritted his teeth, expelling frustrated flames from his fists, hit by a sudden wave of reproach. How dare she make him feel embarrassed for his faults? After all he’d been through—the suffering, the starving, watching as his parents were murdered in front of him by a firebender and then realizing that he, too, possessed the destructive power—there would be something wrong with him if he  _ didn’t  _ have problems. He growled in frustration, deep in his throat.

Lin just smirked at him, raising her fists in front of her chest once more. “Good, Detective. You’re mad. Now use it. I’m old, I’m far weaker than you. Find a way to take me down, one step to incapacitate and dominate your opponent.”

The steady flames encircling his hands stuttered, and Mako examined her more closely. The taunting air to her voice had vanished. Instead, it sounded almost genuine- almost pleading,  and Mako took a step towards her, prepping his fighting stance once more. He thought about her words, her explanations, here and during training at the station. He always fought like a firebender, dumb as it sounded, so he needed to switch techniques. Mako decided to try and beat Lin at her own game. He advanced towards her throwing a punch with his right hand, only to duck at the very moment she went to evade him on the left, sweeping her legs out from under her.

Finally, Mako had her pinned to the floor, both shaken, a hand holding both of hers together above the head, their chests so close that it was impossible to tell which erratic breathing belonged to whom. In what he could only describe as mad lust, he ran his tongue over her jaw line and sucked at her earlobe. The saltiness of her sweat only edged him on, and he bit on the sharp bone and down her neck, where his right hand pressed on, tightening and loosening up with his indecision. How much of this did she really want and how much was he just imagining out of his desperation?

"Tell me to stop. Chief, tell me, and I'll do it at once." He asked to her ear, mind clouded with want but his feelings for her preventing him to go further without her consenting to it. Messily, he opened the chi blocking cuffs and waited for her to escape, to beat him unconscious on the floor for his actions, yet she didn’t move.

Instead, Lin stared defiantly at his eyes, pupils blown, lips slightly parted and pushing short and heavy breaths between them. Mako could smell the coffee she’d been drinking right before she found him here. His judgement was slowly escaping, if he’d had any to begin with. He closed fingers in her hair, pulling her head back, and bit down on her neck. Hard. He needed her to know the things she did to him. Lin trembled under him.

And it was all over for her, really.

“Say my name,” Mako all but growled, hand pressing more firmly around her neck, teeth biting down on her lower lip to gain access to her mouth and taste her. That lingering coffee on her tongue he’d come to need as of late. He let go of her hair freeing his hand to roam over her body, swallowing her moans, pushing his tongue deeper into her mouth, sucking on hers. 

Letting go of her, Mako sat up, surprised to find Lin staying still, arms firm in their place above her head. The defiance was still present in her eyes, he could see it, her perfect eyebrows slightly furrowed in that determined look she got when dealing with a difficulty, and that meant she was not giving up any time soon. It was just fine by him, Mako would have her moaning his name even if it took the whole day; he was actually hoping she’d hold her ground that long. 

Mako ran his fingers down her sides until he reached the hem of her now not-so-white top, drawing circular patterns in the skin that showed between it and her pants, fingers warming up just enough to let her know what was coming. Her eyes fluttered closed in anticipation, hips pushed up searching for his, but he didn't let them come together even when he was dying to do so. The strain in Mako’s pants was becoming unbearable, the friction where their hips met a delicious torture for them both. His hands caressed upwards under Lin's shirt, making her tremble when he reached her breasts, massaging them, pinching her nipples. A shallow moan escaped her lips, Mako’s blood singing with the sound of it, her heavy breathing fueling him more. He removed his hands from under the shirt and she arched her back trying to follow his touch.

"Say my name, Lin," he said by her ear, a hand tracing the scars on her cheek. She licked her lips, a smirk showing. Mako pressed his full weight down over her ribs, making her gasp. "Say it."

"Bite me, Detective." 

Her glare was daring, and he  _ could _ do just that, but instead he released his grip and grabbed her chin forcing her to look down. A flame formed on his right hand, one he refined until he formed a perfectly shaped dagger, and could see the instant where her eyes widened, and her breathing became shallower. He let go of her chin for the hem of her shirt, fire dagger slowly cutting it open, exposing her creamy skin to the chill air of the dojo. A strangled sound left her lips and it went straight to his cock, making it twitch, making Mako wonder if he could come just from her moans.

"What was that, Chief?" Lin bit down on her lower lip, the resolve that had flickered just a moment ago, returning at once with his tease. He didn’t mind, he had time. 

Mako was cutting through her bra now, stopping to lick at her nipples once he had removed the aggravating piece of clothing, catching one between his teeth. He unbuckled his belt, and removed both of their pants in haste, barely pulling on her underwear to burn it off of her. He could smell her desire, could see the telltale glistening of wetness between her legs, and the unabashed hunger in her eyes.

“Say my name, Lin,” Mako whispered softly to the inside of her leg, ignoring the way she held her chin higher, kissing upwards from her ankles. Her moans were driving him insane, head light with the need to be inside of her right then. But he also knew what she was doing, hips bucking into his ghosting fingers, and lips parting into tantalizing whimpers, and he would not cave until she did so first. He was in control now, and she’d do his bidding this time.

He drew a warm path on her inner thighs, fingers running up and down from knees to hips, and thumbs teasing her wet folds. The sounds he pulled from her were hot and inviting, and Mako wanted so much to just cave in, but he wanted to hear her plead all the more, to moan his name and beg for him. He pushed two fingers inside her, Lin’s breath stuttering, back arching and hips rolling down in search of more. Mako’s thumb circled over her clit, fingers pumping in and out of her at a quickening pace, until he felt her tightening around him, stomach taut with anticipation, and then he stopped. The broken and frustrated cry that followed was as sweet as her moans, and he started it again, and again. And as many times as it took, pushing her to the brink of orgasm, only to stop the moment before.

And Lin looked gorgeous in her tossing about the floor; silver hair spilled on the mat, trapped in her lashes, beautifully framing her face, with her parted lips and closed eyes. Mako would drown in her if allowed, and today he could. Mako parted her legs further, bending down to taste her.

“ _ Fuck. _ Agni, pl-” Her hips bucked with the first flick of his tongue, and no matter how fast she’d quieted herself, Mako’s eyes found hers in a knowing smirk from his place at her navel.

“All you have to do is say it, Lin.” Mako let his hot breath fall on her, fingers curling inside, searching for that sensitive spot to have her writhing under him. He circled his tongue over her clit, with just enough pressure to finally have her gasping out a plea.

“Please. Detective, I-” Lin rose to capture his gaze, chest heaving, and fingers gripping onto the tatami like a lifeline. It occurred to Mako she looked tame, even in the wildness of her looks; like she’d actually wait, and ask, and listen to him, even when they both knew all Lin needed to do was flick her wrist to have him off of her, handcuffed and put away. “Mako,” Lin licked her lips, and Mako was sure he could taste the change in the air around them as well as he could her scent on his lips. His cock, forgotten up until that moment, twitched at the prospect of Lin Beifong following his orders.

“Again,” he pulled his fingers out, crawling over her, pressing them to her lips. Lin’s tongue darted out, licking one and the other, and then taking them both in her mouth. The fight was gone from her eyes, and instead, a rare and alluring softness was showing in the darkened emerald. Mako’s head swayed with it, hips pressing down on Lin’s with a groan.

“Mako,” she breathed out around his fingers. Mako wrapped them around his cock, lining himself, and finally pressing into her slick center. “I want to touch you.”

“Fuck,  _ fuck Lin _ . Yes,” he moaned into her neck, focusing on controlling his body, and the molten heat threatening to make this end far too soon, thrusting slow but deep into her. Lin ran her hands across his back, nails leaving a searing trail in their wake, fingers threading into his hair and pulling. “Harder.” The order slipped from his lips before he could reign it in, hoarse with want and the soreness of his throat, but she complied at once. Mako buried himself to the hilt, teeth closing around the spot where her shoulder and neck met.

Mako was desperate with lust, and two weeks worth of driving himself up a wall missing her. His fingers pressed into her flesh, warm and strong, leaving marks behind that she’d have for days afterwards. His thrusts forced the air from her lungs, and had her back pushing off the floor, hips arching against him. A string of cries and pleas, and his name repeated once and again:falling from her lips, buried at his shoulder, jagged by his ear, or quelled by his mouth on hers. Lin had surrendered to him, and Mako was drunk with it. “One more time, Lin. Say it again.”

“Please. Mako, please.” He was in control.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been almost two years since this story was last updated, and I want to thank anyone that might still be reading, and the people who have come to my Tumblr with questions about it. I can't explain how much it means.
> 
> I have to confess I started writing this almost at the same time as I did Distance, but then things happened, and feelings kept me from being able to work through it, so it's been sitting in my drafts for a year and a half. It haunted me for every single one of them.
> 
> I will finish this series, I owe it to Lin and Mako, so if you want to keep on reading, I'll see you next chapter. Thank you for being there.


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